THE Environment and Water Ministry recently announced that it will give the Penang government a chance to fulfil all 72 requirements needed to implement the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, despite objections from several quarters.

The “72 requirements” are not requirements specific to this project, as the public is being told and expected to believe. They are SOPs applicable to development projects in general.

For example, one of the 72 conditions is that vehicles leaving the construction site must wash their wheels before moving onto public roads. How is this going to be done before construction work starts?

The genuine conditions are those outlined by the Agriculture Ministry as follows: 

1. Gazetting a fishery conservation zone along the coastline from Pulau Betung to Teluk Bahang, including the seaside up till one nautical mile. Gazetting middle bank as a fisheries protected area;

2. Modifying the island’s shape by providing a subtidal zone migration route of at least 1m to 2m deep during low tide, with adequate width at the southern part of the island to allow large white prawns and Sua Lor prawns to migrate from the east to Penang’s western side;

3. The Penang government must conduct two studies – the ontogenetic migration of peanaus merguiensis and Metapenaeus ensis and the impact of dredging and reclamation of the PSR on the two prawn populations and their fisheries (one-year cycle complete); and,

4. Noise pollution impact on fish due to dredging and reclamation works.

The Environment and Water Ministry must clarify whether it requires the Penang government to comply with these four conditions or not.

If it has not told the Penang government to comply with these four conditions, it should explain why it is overruling the Agriculture Ministry as this is a rich fishing area and food security must take priority over any other considerations.

Harping on about the 72 SOPs as “conditions” is not correct. – July 5, 2020. 

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.